If you need extra help to get you in the mood, Viagra isn’t the only way forward, according to Dr Michael Mosley.
The health guru explained that a humble vegetable could be enough to seal the deal.
Dr Mosley shared that beetroot acts on the body in a similar way to the famed “love drug”.
Packed with nitrates, beetroot can help dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow.
The use of the red vegetable for this purpose dates way back as the Romans were thought to have used it to increase their sex drives.
Speaking on 5×15 stories, Dr Mosley said: “The Romans used it as an aphrodisiac, strangely enough. The mechanism is exactly the same as in Viagra.
“What Viagra does is lead to the release of nitric oxide and the expansion of blood vessels, but mainly around your genitalia.
“For those who are interested the biochemistry — the sciencey bit — essentially, beetroot is rich in nitrates.”
What’s more, these compounds are responsible for more than an erection.
Because beetroot can help your blood vessels to dilate, it can also help reduce your blood pressure, according to Dr Mosley.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the precursor to serious health problems, ranging from heart attacks to strokes.
Therefore, it’s crucial to keep your reading in check to minimise your risk of further problems happening.
The doctor added: “Nitrates are converted by bacteria in your mouth into nitric oxide. That causes vasodilation, expansion of your blood vessels.
“That’s what brings your blood pressure down and what it also does, particularly with older people, it gives them a boost so they are able to become more active.”
Don’t just take the doctor’s word for it, as research, published in the Journal of Nutrition, looked at 22 separate studies to assess the effects of beetroot juice on blood pressure.
The scientists concluded that the red drink could bring about a “significant reduction” in systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
However, the reductions were more pronounced in studies that used higher doses of beet juice, measured at more than 500 millilitres per day.
